Clin Chem Lab Med. 2013 Sep;51(9):1825-31. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2013-0069.
The aim of this study was to examine the level of thiosulfate in the urine of prostate cancer (PCa) patients and evaluate its usefulness in the diagnosis and monitoring of prostate malignant transformation. Thiosulfate is a naturally occurring product of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) metabolism. H2S is involved in many physiological and pathological processes including inflammation and tumorigenesis.
The determination of thiosulfate in the urine of PCa patients and healthy controls was performed by reverse-phased liquid chromatography using 2-chloro-1-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate as a derivatization reagent. Thiosulfate concentrations were normalized to urinary creatinine levels to compensate for variable diuresis.
In the urine samples of PCa patients, the mean thiosulfate level was almost 50 times higher than in the control groups and five times higher than in the benign prostatic hyperplasia group. The level of thiosulfate did not correlate with the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level or PSA density. Neither tumor stage nor tumor grade was associated with thiosulfate level.
The results suggest that thiosulfate concentration in urine may be a good facilitator in the diagnostics of PCa. The predictive accuracy of this method is particularly valuable for the diagnosis of patients with low serum PSA level and negative digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasound results.
本研究旨在检测前列腺癌（PCa）患者尿液中的硫代硫酸盐水平，并评估其在前列腺恶性转化的诊断和监测中的应用价值。硫代硫酸盐是硫化氢（H2S）代谢的天然产物。H2S 参与许多生理和病理过程，包括炎症和肿瘤发生。
采用 2-氯-1-甲基喹啉四氟硼酸盐作为衍生化试剂，通过反相液相色谱法测定 PCa 患者和健康对照组尿液中的硫代硫酸盐。将硫代硫酸盐浓度标准化为尿肌酐水平，以补偿尿量的变化。
在 PCa 患者的尿液样本中，硫代硫酸盐的平均水平几乎是对照组的 50 倍，是良性前列腺增生组的 5 倍。硫代硫酸盐水平与血清前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）水平或 PSA 密度无关。肿瘤分期和肿瘤分级均与硫代硫酸盐水平无关。
研究结果表明，尿液中硫代硫酸盐浓度可能是诊断 PCa 的一个很好的辅助手段。该方法的预测准确性对于诊断血清 PSA 水平低、数字直肠检查和经直肠超声结果阴性的患者具有特别重要的价值。
